The Wilmingtonian., 1887-02-12
The Woodstock Horror.

fearful phase however is not to be ascribed
to usual causes such as deraillnent or coli-
sion or even to the terrible leap of fifty feet
TO the bottom of a ravine but to something
still more terrible and revolving than all
these--the burning to death Of the majority |
of the unfortunates.
There is a fearful responsibility standing |
against some one. The responsibility can |
be laid at the doors of none other than the |
Railroad Company or more exactly the d. |
rectors of the railroad. Let the simple ques-
tion be asked "do those men realize what |
they are accountable for ?" Are they aware
that 1t is positively through their negligence
that this recent terrible holocaust of human
lives is possible of record as the most repel-
liant story this continent has read. What on
earth is the condition of our civilization
when here in this Christian country the lives
of huplers men and womencry aloud for pro-
lection and there is not a single reply from
any direction public or private State or Fed
eraI, all are silent-there is not voice to
say even who is responsible or simple
authority to Indicate who Is worthy Of judg-
ment in tho presence Of this great woe. 1t
is criminal neglect What else can it be
No other construction can bc put upon the
negative action Of railway authorities upon
whose lines such incidents occur as that of
the Woodstock horror From the President
of the United States down to the most OBJ
scure States Attorney no voice is raised In
eloquent denunciation or backed by stout
promises of thorough punishment of such
public viIlainy. Those whose sworn duty
it is to protect the lives of citizens seem
sleepily to suppose they have "done their
whole duty" in seeing that burglaries
are prevented that female virtue and honor
is shielded, that pitiful bankrupts are hnr-
riedly jailed, that harmless tramps are laden
with iron aud ball that worthless drunks are
locked up, that sneaking bank cashiers are
| deported safely to Canada-that such items
| are sufficient and cover all that the people
demand of those whose duty it is to shield
the public from harm. Bnt such primitive
solctude is not.qute all that is expected at
this date OF the Nineteenth Century. Some
thing much more than that is asked and
now demanded in loud clarion tones Of
the public official It is demanded that he
recognize his full duty. Nowadays that de-
mand comprehends larger and more intel
ligent scope than of old. New conditions
have @zisse. DGsiness hns dossiopod into
such variety ofnew roads that demands of
public protection have to follow quickly,
step by step, in their wake in order that any
efficient help and protection from the indif
ference to their responsibilities, a character
lzation which distinctively describes the
phase Of hurried scramble for wealth of tc-
dav, which railway companies, perhaps
| uOE6 budu huJ spcoioe VI uusihoso SOi-
poration, are notorious for.
The first point demanded by the public is
that the responsibility be clearly placed.
Second that the dangerous stove in the pas
sepger car be entirely condemned as against
the law. Third that the railway companies
he compelled, independent of whatever the
expense may be, to place sufficient heating
apparatus, other than that by fire upon the
steam car. Ard lastly that the heaviest
fiues be placed for any intraction of such a
law as will cover the above demands. Alsc
! of whatever material the cars be built let the
companies be warned against using sub
stances as far removed from readily-ignita.
Bile matter, such as word, as modern science
will indicate. Invention has suggested suf
ficent to meet all these points in rsasona
BILE way. However, whether reasonable or
not, human life must be protected and re.
sponsibility for accidents of the Woodstock
Vermont, nature must be quickly possible
of being placed so that equivocation .
avoidance of justice be literally impossible
3 In relation to the catastrophe at Wood
: stock, Vermont, the Philadelphia Pres
: says s.
i The terrible accident on the Vermont Cen
4 tral Railroad at Woodstock Bridge take
. rank in the magnitude of Its horrors wit
4 the AshtabIla catastrophe on the LAX
!, Shore and the Spuyten Duyvil wreck on tn
Hudson RIVER Road, where Wagner, of th
+ sleeping car company Of that name, wit
g many other passengers, was roasted alive a
1t the rivers edge. At the Woodstock Bridg
IL disaster four cars carrying passengers TOO
fearful plunge over the bridge. Ho'
many owe their death to the mere fall Of til
u cars will never be known, for in few mt
IT ments the bruised, the stunned, the maimeC
of the uniniured and the dead alike were sacr
i. feed on a common altar to the railroad pol
:, cy which puts passengers in finder box
company with red-bot stove.
y The agony of the ancient martyrs wi
Mt were burned at the stake is repeated evel
10 Winter in this country nearly half a score
n times In the wreckng and immediate ign
!, tion of sleeping and passengers cars. Unlik
the martyrs the victims Of these modern he
IL ocausts are without the consolation that Il
r. kingdom of heaven and the cause of trut
at are advanced by their painful and needle
" butchery. Thus far the blood or the ash